I've fallen in love with the Momentum headphones Sennheiser launched a few years ago. They're my gotos: The cans that sit on my desk everyday. Usually, I don't care that somebody made existing headphones wireless or that they managed to make them noise canceling. Bluetooth? Yawn. Noise canceling? Whatevs. But I'm… »1/06/15 12:00pm 1/06/15 12:00pm

Peace and quiet is valuable in life. Sometimes you just want to zone out or hone in on something important. I remember being amazed when my elementary school science teacher passed around his personal noise-canceling headphones and let us all try them. »11/17/13 2:00pm 11/17/13 2:00pm

If we've learned anything from Beats by Dre, it's that adding a little bit of style to an audio product goes a long way. The people will pay for it. But is there room for more than one purveyor of premium, fashionista cans? Fanny Wang intends to find out. »7/25/12 5:40pm 7/25/12 5:40pm

Toting headphones back and forth across the country (or the city) is one of the best ways to expose their design flaws. Can the new AKG K495 NC noise-canceling headphones, with their burly build and audiophile pedigree, stand up that kind of punishment while delivering dulcet tones? Is this finally the ideal… »3/27/12 4:40pm 3/27/12 4:40pm

Maybe you spend more time on a plane than you do your house. Or maybe you just live/work/suffer with someone who talks REALLY REALLY LOUD. Sony's latest noise-canceling headphones, the MDR-NC200D, are made for someone like yourself. »9/07/11 9:50am 9/07/11 9:50am

The iPhone4 has fantastic noise cancellation. But how it pulled that off had been a mystery, as teardowns couldn't find an audio processor. Turns out, it's a familiar piece of hardware we've seen before. »5/17/11 3:48pm 5/17/11 3:48pm

Screaming babies, turbofan engine roar, the drone of air conditioning units—traveling can be a sonic nightmare. Sennheiser wants to help with new pair of earbuds that give you three modes of noise-destroying goodness. »1/06/11 12:25am 1/06/11 12:25am

If you want peace and quiet, current technologies require a compromise: settle for thick, unsightly foam or use thinner panels that don't block bass. A new technology developed in Hong Kong, however, is both super thin and super effective. »2/27/10 9:24am 2/27/10 9:24am

These
noise »11/19/08 5:18am 11/19/08 5:18am headphones from Hitachi Maxell are unlike many previous similar types since they don't require separate power. Instead they connect to iPods via the dock connector, and can suck on the batteries through there. They do manage about 20dB of noise canceling with an "Active Noise Rejection" system, but the…

The Gadget: Sony's MDR-NC500D, the "world's first headphones with digital technology for noise canceling." These over the ear noise canceling headphones have three different environmental modes, a monitor mode, internal reachable battery and a case full of accessories and adapters. »7/23/08 12:00pm 7/23/08 12:00pm

Sony figured out two reasons people don't buy flagship noise-canceling headphones—whether Bose or Sony or others: they're awfully expensive and freakin' huuuuge. The MDR-NC40 coming out in March costs $100, and is both cheaper and slimmer than the bulky $400 NC500D. This set runs for 40 hours on a single AAA battery… »2/26/08 3:01am 2/26/08 3:01am

Sony introduced the world's first headphone with "digital technology for precise noise canceling"- although we're not sure exactly what that means-these headphones have three different environmental modes, and a switch to let the outside noise in. Sony claims to block 99 percent of noise in the 160HZ range (which is… »1/06/08 8:28pm 1/06/08 8:28pm

Today JVC introduced a pair of noise-canceling headphones that are said to lock out up to 85% of background noise, thanks to circuitry that "constantly monitors the noise cancellation process." It's also got a "double housing," better for physically insulating your ears from the world's more audible hustle and bustle. »7/13/07 8:35am 7/13/07 8:35am

Finding the right chair or sofa to cushion your derriere while playing marathon sessions of Gears of War isn't as easy as it sounds. Not only does it have to be comfortable, but it should also look cool. That's why we're liking the Sonic Chair. Design-wise, it looks like something you'd find in a footballer's mansion… »2/01/07 5:55pm 2/01/07 5:55pm

JVC rolled out its HA-NC80 noise-canceling headphones, offering two modes of quietude. Wide Mode is geared toward jet travel, while Low Mode is more suitable for trains and buses. They fold flat for easy packing, have a dual plug adapter for airplane entertainment systems and will be available next month for a… »11/27/06 9:40am 11/27/06 9:40am

Maxell is the latest company to come out with a pair (two, even!) of noise canceling headphones so that you can block out the annoying sounds of life while you're listening to Cold War Kids and their washing machine song. The two headphones are supposed to reduce noise by up to 90 percent—that's almost 100 percent!… »11/02/06 1:49pm 11/02/06 1:49pm

Logitech enters its phones into the battle royale between noise-canceling headphones, competing against Bose Quiet Comfort 3 and Solitude headphones for the title of King of Quietude. It's using the same principle as its competitors, with active and passive noise elimination aiming to cancel out constant background… »7/25/06 12:58pm 7/25/06 12:58pm

In my ongoing effort to completely isolate myself from human society, the Solitude Active Noise Cancellation Headset should have been a Godsend. I could have had everything: comfortable headphones and zero distractions from the peanut gallery. Alas, the headset didn't exactly wow me. Find out why after the jump. »7/02/06 8:30am 7/02/06 8:30am